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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Scarlet Howes

Prisoner charged with attempted murder of inmate who slashed Soham child killer Ian Huntley's throat

A prisoner has been charged with the attempted murder of an inmate who was jailed for slashing the throat of Soham child killer Ian Huntley.

Kevin McCarthy, 49, is accused of seriously assaulting 41-year-old Damien Fowkes at HMP Whitemoor in March, Cambridgeshire, leaving him with life-threatening injuries to his neck.

McCarthy appeared at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, no pleas were taken and he was remanded in custody.

Fowkes is serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years for the attempted murder of Ian Huntley and the manslaughter of paedophile and child-killer Colin Hatch at a second jail.

A sentencing hearing at Hull Crown Court in 2011 heard how Fowkes attacked Huntley in the healthcare unit at Frankland Prison, in Durham, in 2010, leaving him with a gaping wound.

Fowkes attacked Huntley in the healthcare unit at Frankland Prison leaving him with gaping wound (PA)

It was Huntley's "good fortune" that the 7in (18cm) wound Fowkes inflicted with a razor melted on to a piece of plastic cutlery missed vital parts of his anatomy.

Fowkes was then transferred to Full Sutton Prison, near York, where he barricaded himself into a cell with Hatch as prison officers waited outside for fear he would kill his prisoner if they entered.

He killed Hatch anyway by strangling him with a ligature.

McCarthy is accused of seriously assaulting Fowkes at HMP Whitemoor (PA Archive)

Sentencing him, Mr Justice Coulson said: "It is troubling that these two attacks were carried out in two different high-security prisons."

McCarthy allegedly attacked Fowkes on October 2 2016. Fowkes was taken to hospital where he was treated for life-threatening injuries to his neck.

McCarthy is due to appear at Peterborough Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on May 10.

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